Murkomen, Duale Face Axe in Supremacy Battle

A collage of National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale and his Senate counterpart Kipchumba Murkomen
A collage of National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale and his Senate counterpart Kipchumba Murkomen
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Jubilee Vice Chairman David Murathe, a close ally of President Uhuru Kenyatta and in strong opposition to Deputy William Ruto vowed to kick out Ruto allies from the halls of parliament.

In a report by the Standard on Wednesday, April 14, Murathe stated that the intended axe would fall on National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale as well his Leader of the Senate Kipchumnbe Murkomen.

The two would subsequently be replaced by members who were aligned to President Kenyatta's Agenda.

David Murathe during a press conference
David Murathe during a press conference at his Garden Estate home in Nairobi on January 6, 2018.
Daily Nation

"The President wants to have people who will back his agenda and push through government policy in parliament. This is not what Ruto Allies are doing. Murkomen and others are sabotaging the President's agenda," stated Murathe.

Murathe further provided that it would be easy to remove Murkomen as his position in parliament was not provided for under the constitution.

"Section 107 and 108 of the Constitution have no provision for the position of Leader of Majority in the Senate. It says there shall be a majority leader in parliament. So we will abolish the Senate position and replace the current leader in the National Assembly," Murathe detailed.

The Jubilee Vice Chair asserted that the envisaged changes were necessary if the country was to continue running efficiently.

He asserted that Ruto had taken a stance against the President and was only concerned with clinching the Presidential seat come 2022. 

Aside from Duale and Murkomen, the axe has also targetted at least 16 committee chairs.

These include Wario Ali chair of Labour and Social Welfare Committee in Parliament, Victor Munyaka in Sports tourism and Culture as well as Rachel Nyamai in Lands.

Aden Duale, however, stated that he was not worried about Murathe's threats.

"I don't play in the same political league with Murathe and he doesn't deserve my reply. I am not his guest in the Jubilee Party but a founder member and a shareholder," Duale asserted.

A photo of National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale addressing reporters in Nairobi on May 22, 2019.
National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale addressing reporters in Nairobi on May 22, 2019.

Murkomen on his part stated that Murathe did not have the legal power to carry out his threats.

"Murathe is a strange dog that thinks he is bigger than his master. He is too small for my radar to detect. He has no legal mechanism of enforcing his hollow threats. I lead my fellow senators for whom I have the greatest respect. Murathe should go engage with his equals," Murkomen stated.

The tug of war between members of the party comes in the wake of Jubilee changes to the National Management Committee, a move that DP Ruto termed as both illegal and fraudulent

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